Ninja vs. Sith

A/N and Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or Star Wars in any way, shape, or form. If I did, I wouldn't need student loans in order to go to college. Hell, I wouldn't even need to go to college. I'd probably be on a beach in Boca. But alas, I'm a simple high-school senior with a dream and an empty pocketbook. Oh well; ENJOY XD!!!

Naruto looked around at his beloved home of Konoha in dismay. He'd just arrived from his sage training and was now looking upon a battlefield instead of a village. Corpses littered the ground, both Leaf-nin and Akatsuki alike….wait a minute! Naruto did a double-take. "Who could have done this to Akatsuki members?!" Zetsu, the member that had a Venus-flytrap around his head, had been sliced in half right down the line that divided his black and white halves. Kisame, the "fish-man" of the group, had been gutted as such and his Samehada sword had been sliced into thirds. Finally, 5 of the 6 Paths of Pein were lying in various stages of dismemberment, disembowelment, and some were even beheaded.

What was just as shocking was that there wasn't a single drop of blood on the ground, or anywhere, for that matter. All the bodies had been cut and sliced, all right, yet each and every wound yielded no blood. "What weapon could do such damage, cause such devastation, yet leave absolutely no blood trail?" thought Naruto. He had dispelled his amphibian companions long ago, seeing as there would be no fighting taking place…at least, not here and now. He wandered over to one of the Pein bodies, knelt down, and examined the remains. The wounds appeared to have been inflicted, and less than a second later, been cauterized over with extreme heat. "Still, no Fire Jutsu could have done this…at least, not this quickly," he thought.

Just then, he heard an explosion, followed by a cry of, "Shinra Tensei!!" The ground erupted in backlash and threw debris away from the wound in the earth. Naruto quickly rushed over to the site of the attack, and witnessed something mind-boggling.

At the center of the crater stood two figures: one with red-orange hair, pale white skin, charka receptors throughout his face, and he was wearing a black coat with red clouds. This was Akatsuki's "leader", Pein. The other character was what really shocked Naruto. He wore a black robe and sash, black pants, black gloves, and black boots. However, what really turned heads was HIS head. He had no hair, had several horns on his head, and his face was covered in what looked like red and black paint. At his side, he held what looked like to be a metal cylinder, at first glance. Yet even as Naruto watched in awe, the demonic-looking figure thumbed two switches, and two blades sprung to life from the single cylinder. This man was the Sith Lord known as Darth Maul.

Within the blink of an eye, Pein released his gravity attack, determined to kill this "alien intruder". Without batting an eye, Maul flicked his wrist and deflected the attack, destroying a grove of trees nearby with the resulting explosion. Pein was panting and breathing hard; Maul was looking a little worse for wear, but otherwise intact. Other Konoha nin, including Sakura, Hinata, Kakashi, Sai, Tsunade, Kiba, Ino, Shikamaru, Chouji, Tenten, Lee, Neji, Shino, Yamato, Shizune, and the rest, were looking on in disbelief as to the events occurring here. Even Sasuke and Team Hawk were here, wide-eyed and trembling, for the killer intent that was coming from the two fighters was choking, to put it mildly. Naruto then noticed other figures that he had never seen before: one in a black robe with the hood pulled up to conceal his face, one who looked regal with the clothing he was wearing and the way he carried himself, one who looked more like a machine than anything else, and finally, one who wore a full suit of black armor.

He then heard a sinister cackle. He turned to the robed figure, as well as everyone else there, and began to listen intently to what he said. "Well, now that my esteemed apprentice, Darth Maul, has your attention, I would like to introduce myself. I am the Sith Lord Darth Sideous. I and my apprentice discovered your world quite by accident, actually, but we were able to utilize the technology or "techniques" as you call them, to revive my former apprentices. Now that I have my legion of sith warriors available to me again, I will start a new chapter in the Galactic Empire, and it shall start with the enslavement and eventual destruction of your world, so no one, save me, shall ever know of this "revival technique" that this orange haired man possesses." Sideous then began to laugh, the Dark Side of the Force freely flowing from his body, sending chills down everyone's body. "Now, to begin our conquest and genocide: Maul, FINISH HIM!!!"

Now Maul leapt forward to deliver the final blow to a severely weakened Pein, but was stopped by an orange and red clad fellow. He never felt it in the Force, nor saw what hit him, for he was too focused on killing the man knelt before him until the Rasengan was driven forcefully into his skull by none other than Naruto Uzumaki. He flew through the air and landed next to Pein, skidding to a halt next to his shoes. Naruto landed next to Pein, also, and offered him a hand. "Are you okay?" he asked. Pein looked at him puzzled. "Why?" he asked back. "Because, if we don't work together, even for this short amount of time, there will be no need to fight; we'll be dead." "Hmmm….good point." he replied.

"Enough chitchat. What did he mean by a 'revival technique'?" asked Naruto. "It is one of the Six Paths of Pein techniques that I posses. Long story short, it allows me to revive a Path whenever it is killed, yet only one of my Paths posses it. I don't understand how he could have gotten hold of the technique, let alone learned how to use it in a short period of time such as this….wait…the only way the technique can be used is if you know everything about the person you are trying to bring back, right down to the cellular makeup of the person…theoretically, anyone could use it to bring someone back, with that amount of knowledge and the technique, of course. Yet the question is –"

"How does he know so much about his apprentices?" Naruto finished. Naruto looked up to see everyone staring at him, the ninja in joy and mixed emotion, and the Sith, with unbridled rage and fury over Maul's third demise (spoiler: in the official Star Wars series, Maul is cloned and brought back, only to be killed again by someone else). Sakura began to run toward Naruto, yet Kakashi held her back. When she gave him a questioning look, he shook his head and pointed toward Naruto, then the Sith, and remained silent to let the implications of her getting into this fight sink in. Mortified, she sank to her knees and began to worry very seriously about Naruto's safety.

Naruto, meanwhile, knew that there was no way that he and Pein would be able to stand up against 4 Sith Lords, and he knew that he was clearly outnumbered and outgunned. Suddenly, a burst of fire appeared next to him. Naruto turned to see the last person he thought he would see. Sasuke Uchiha was smirking ear to ear as he turned to Naruto. "Well, old friend, we might as well get started, eh?" said Sasuke. Naruto then turned to see Tobi, aka Madera Uchiha, walked up beside the group. "It would be no fun to conqueror a world that would then be destroyed, would it, Nine-Tails?" Naruto shrugged off the insult with a simple nod, and the four unlikely teammates stood posed for battle.

Meanwhile, the Emperor cackled softly to himself at the feeble attempts that were being made by the local populace to resist him. The Emperor simply shot a bolt of lightning out toward Darth Maul, enveloping him in a hazy red light. The fallen Sith Lord's eyes shot open, and the crater in his skull reverted itself to normal shape. Maul then pulled his lightsaber towards himself, then leapt back towards the group of Sith. He landed next to Sideous, one knee bent in disgrace and sorrow towards his master. "My Master, forgive me. The boy –". "FORGET THE BOY!!!!" Sideous raged. He lifted Maul with the Force, and began to strangle him in anger. "IF YOU EVER FAIL ME AGAIN, THERE WILL BE NO SECOND CHANCE!!! IF YOU COME BACK AFTER A FAILURE, I WILL PERSONALLY BE YOUR EXECUTIONER!!! NOW DO AS YOU ARE TOLD AND KILL THEM ALL, OR I WILL KILL YOU!!! NOW GO!!!"

Maul was then flung to the ground, and he lay there, coughing and trying to catch breath. "Yes….my master…I will do as you…command." "Good…very good. Now, Maul, Dooku, Vader, Grievous…make short work of these fools so we can begin to enslave the populace for my own personal uses…this "charka" that they keep mentioning has my interest piqued. I may use their DNA to make suitable clones and then kill the originals, yet brainwashing has its advantages, also……hmmm, so many decisions, so little time….anyway, let's get this bloodbath started….ATTACK!!!

The four Sith launched themselves at the ninja, who leapt away as 4 red, 2 green, and 2 blue sabers burst to life, slashing the air where they had just been. "Pick an enemy, everyone, but don't let those light swords touch you…they look deadly", commented Naruto. "Hn, the dobe is right for once", said Sasuke. "Just shut up and fight, Sasuke", replied Naruto, as the four ninja spread out in a diamond attack pattern, and picked their targets. Pein kicked Maul off to the side, muttering "Let's pick up where we left off", and proceeded to lash out at him with charka rods. Maul lazily dodged or sliced them, ignoring the fact that he was getting nearer to the forest. He suddenly found his back against a tree. He looked at it in surprise, and it was all the time Pein needed, as he grabbed Maul by the arm holding the lightsaber and the other grabbing his head. "Shinra Tensei" he mumbled. Had Maul been distracted a second longer, his body would've exploded with the sheer force of the attack. Instead, Maul turned out of the ninja's grasp, and used the Force to push himself away from the attack. The resulting explosion caught Maul off guard, as the mud clone couldn't handle the attack and was dispelled. The explosive tags on the clone didn't help Maul any as he was blasted into a tree. His head hit the trunk, and his lightsaber flew out of his hand into the forest.

Maul lay there, stunned yet conscious, as Pein walked toward him and stabbed him in the shoulder with a charka rod. Expecting his opponent defeated, he was surprised when Maul's red doublesaber found its' way back and sprang to life in Maul's hand. Time seemed to slow down, as the red blade headed straight for his head. He bent his whole figure backwards, avoiding the blade by mere inches, and as it missed, the 5 second delay on Pein's attack was up, and he propelled the blade into its master with a cry of "Shinra Tensei". Maul coughed up burning blood as he mumbled, "Good….fight", and slumped against the tree, dead. Pein also slumped to the ground, panting hard, and then, grinning like a child who just got a cookie, passed out on the forest floor.

Madera laughed like a maniac as he fought against General Grievous, part flesh, part machine, all cyborg. Grievous roared, as none of his attacks could make even a scratch on this humanoid. Despite the fact that none of Madera's attacks had even scratched his armor, he was furious. Every time his blade(s) would come within INCHES of hitting the crazed Uchiha, it/they seemed to pass straight through him, almost as if he were fighting a ghost. The kunai being thrown at him did nothing against his plated armor, but a few got a little too close to his compressed organs for him to dismiss the man outright. He roared again as another close hit missed its' target. He was beginning to get really angry now. A kunai to the faceplate destroyed what little self-control he had left, as he unleashed all 4 arms upon his opponent, driving him back, despite the fact that none of his attacks…wait, that piece of his cloak wasn't cut before. Grievous laughed wickedly, causing Madera to cock his head slightly. "Well, looks like I always get the crazy ones, huh?" he said "You've yet to touch me, yet you act like you're about to win." Grievous narrowed his eyes, which, if he had a mouth, would mean he was smiling. "You're right." he said, "I AM!!!" Madera's eyes widened as he had to duck his head in order to avoid decapitation, as the cyborg general continued his now considerably more lethal onslaught.

Meanwhile, Sasuke was paired up with someone who was as snobbish as he was: Count Dooku was mocking Sasuke and his fighting style, and as they dueled, one using a lightning-infused blade, and the other using a lightsaber, the former Konoha nin was getting considerably irritated. "Was that an attack you just tried? Pitiful form, really. No grace, no elegance…ooohh, are we getting irritated, young one…your strikes are too wild, you know." The count was increasingly getting on Sasuke's nerves….not even Naruto had pissed him off this badly…and that was saying something. Finally realizing that he was outclassed in sword-fighting, Sasuke sheathed his blade and activated his Sharingan. Black flames shot out at the former Jedi Master, causing him to leap out of the way in order to avoid a most gruesome death. Yet even as he landed, more black flames sped towards him, forcing him to keep jumping, dodging, and all together running in order to avoid them. 'What power is he using?' he thought. 'Not even Master Sideous knows of this technique…what a power…no, he's almost reached me…I MUST do something to stop this power, or I'm finished…' At that moment, a thought struck the Sith Lord. He noticed that whatever the strange eyes called 'Sharingan' gazed upon, that area burst into flame. 'So,' he thought, 'his eyes are the controllers for this flame. Well, I can deal with that.'

He leapt high into the air. Sasuke just managed to focus his eyes on the exact spot when he simply vanished. Sasuke blinked in surprise, and then felt a presence behind him. 'Shit, can't look in time. Got to disengage Amaterasu first' Sasuke leapt away as the red blade seared the air where he had been seconds ago, his eyes bleeding from using his Mangekeyo Sharingan. Black flames burned all around them, encasing them in a dark ring of fire. Count Dooku grinned and shot out streams of Sith Lightning. Sasuke made a few hand signs, and the sound of chirping and squeaking birds filled the air. He met the lightning with lightning, and redirected the dark lightning into the air. Suddenly, clouds began to form in the sky, and thunder began to sound off. Dooku looked surprised at the sudden change in weather. "What are you doing, boy?" he growled. "You are nowhere near as skilled as Itachi was, so I'm going to finish you off with this last attack." said Sasuke. "Dream on, kid. You're 50 years too green to be able to beat me. This attack of mine will slice you in two." he said. At this, he charged Sasuke. Thunder cracked overhead, waiting to be unleashed on the poor, unsuspecting Sith. Sasuke just grinned and replied, "Be gone with the lightning, fool." and used his Chidori to call upon the lightning. The sky ripped apart, and the heavens shot forth a bolt of lightning so massive, it could have come from Zeus himself. The bolt struck the Sith Lord, and he screamed and screamed and screamed, as the lightning ripped at his flesh and tore at his bone. Then he suddenly went silent, as he fell to the ground, nothing but a smoldering husk remaining. The black flames silently dispersed, their foe vanquished, and so no longer needed. Sasuke fell to his knees, the attack draining the last of his charka from his body. He grinned, chuckled to himself, and, like Pein, passed out on the ground.

Madara, however, was having the time of his second life, as he hounded the Separatist general with countless hit-and-run attacks. He could tell that the general was getting tired by the ragged breaths he was drawing in. Unfortunately for Madara, his seemingly limitless supply of charka was finally running out. He could do 4, maybe 5 more phase-shifts, before he began to get dangerously low on charka. Grievous, however, didn't know this, and Madara was going to use that to his advantage. A well placed kunai lodged itself into the chestplate of the cyborg, and he wheezed harder as the tip was brushing against his organs. He removed the kunai, growled, and snapped it in two. Madara seemed surprised by this, and that was all it took, as a green blade swung down and cut straight through Madara's left arm.

He screamed in agony, failing to phase shift through the saber at the last moment. He slumped to the ground, paralyzed with agony. He couldn't perform any more jutsu. The cut was permanent, and no amount of trying was going to bring his arm back. He decided to do the only thing he could do: he would at least take the cyborg general with him to Hell. As the man-turned-machine raised his blades to deliver the death blow(s), Madara activated his Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan. He sent it out to absorb the general, just as the blades sliced through his body. General Grievous cackled loudly as the ninja slumped forward. Suddenly, Grievous stopped laughing, as he felt a draw upon one of his arms. He looked at it to see it warped and twisted, heading toward the man he just killed. "No…No…NOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!" he cried, as little by little, every last part of the Separatist general was sucked into Madera's now dimming Sharingan. As the last of Grievous was drawn in, the last of the light left Madara's eyes, now confirming Grievous' earlier assumption. The great and powerful Madara Uchiha was dead.

Darth Vader watched as every last one of his 'comrades' were slain. It was just him and the Emperor, like it had always been, like it should have always been. He looked over as he saw Maul being slain by the very same man, whom minutes earlier, he had just about killed. He saw Dooku go up in a blinding white flash of lightning, saw the charred husk that remained. He just witnessed the death of Grievous by the most insane man he'd ever seen, including his master. Now the other "ninja", as they were called, were rushing over to tend to the wounded, and to remove the dead man who'd just absorbed Grievous. He looked over to his right, and saw the man who'd started this counterattack. Naruto calmly walked over to Vader, mixed emotions on his face. One showed confusion: why were they here? Another showed anger: how dare they hurt his precious people, and destroy his home. Yet another curiosity: how did they get so powerful w/o charka, and why didn't they use any? Naruto stopped walking, and looked at the man who was encased in a black suit of armor, and breathed loud and deeply. Part of his mind was screaming at him to run. The other part was screaming to kick his ass. He went with the second one's opinion. Vader sensed danger and ignited his lightsaber in time to intercept a kunai thrown at his helmet. Then, he and Naruto leapt into battle; the lines were drawn…there could be no retreat. Life would await the victor, while death lurked in the shadows for the defeated.

Naruto sped through his favorite hand signs, landing on the cross sign. He cried out: "Tajuu Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!!!", and 50 clones of himself appeared, surrounding Vader. This took Vader completely off guard, as he thought he would be facing only 1 blond, not 50. The first punch to his back brought him out of his reverie, and he swung his blade, dispersing 3 clones at once. He received more punches and kicks, as he continued to swing his sword with practiced ease, the smoke from the dispersing clones so thick he couldn't see, yet through the Force, he needed no eyesight. Finally there were 3 clones left and the original, and as the smoke began to dissipate, he felt something powerful come into existence…something that felt similar, yet foreign to him as well. He felt nature. This feeling was Naruto's ultimate technique, the one he created. "FUTON: RASENSHURIKEN!!!!" cried Naruto. Vader looked to the sky to see a massive swirling ball of energy surrounded by four curved blades. It looked powerful, felt powerful, and Vader knew that if hit by it, even if he didn't possess this "charka" they spoke of, he would die from it. He could sense the impending attack even before it began, and he charged toward the one holding the dangerous weapon, confident that he could eliminate the threat before it reached him. He sliced the clone guarding it in half, a mixture of pain and surprise adorning its face before it vanished in a puff of smoke. The other 2 clones rushed forward, but he used the force to send them reeling in opposite directions. He reached the man who held the weapon, and plunged the red blade through his stomach to the hilt. The blond cried out as he was impaled, and then… 'POOF', he went up in a cloud of smoke. "Impossible!!!" he thought, "Then the real one was with the clo-" he never got to finish his sentence as he was hit from behind with a cry of "RASENGAN!!!"

The swirling ball of energy connected with his back, and it felt to Vader as if he was being impaled by a lightsaber the size of his fist. He cried out as he felt it rip through the fabric of his cloak, tear through his suit, and grind against bare flesh. He was then propelled forward several hundred feet, and landed face down on the ground, dazed but conscious. Naruto looked upon the man he just hit with his father's technique. The man was still awake and aware; the attack had done its' job, just not as well as it should have. The armored man groaned as he got to his feet, still feeling the effects of the attack. Had he not used the Force to take the brunt of the attack, he would be out cold; instead, his back hurt a little, but he was otherwise fine. "Impressive, young one…most impressive. You're the first to actually land a decent hit on me in many a year." He looked upon the blond that had managed to hit him, whereas so many Jedi could not, and held a new found respect for the man. Yes, he was going to kill him, but that didn't mean he wouldn't respect him as he lopped off his little blond head.

Naruto looked upon the man in amazement. No one had taken that attack, at that level, and got up off the ground. NO ONE! Naruto realized that he drew the strongest of the four Sith Lords, and he grinned as he reactivated his Sage Mode. This was going to put his new Sage Mode to the test, and he was looking forward to it.

Vader felt the draw upon nature's infinite power a second time, and looked to the blond as he transformed into a Sage. This new power was unlike anything he'd felt before, and it seemed as if the blond in front of him was drawing upon the very Force itself, which awed him, to say the least. For one to do something like this, and have NO Force training whatsoever was unheard of. Vader assumed his fighting stance, Form 3, just as Naruto finished the transformation. All of this took place within half a minute and Naruto looked upon the fallen Jedi with contempt and barely hidden rage. In the amount of time it took to blink, Naruto leapt forward and booted Vader in the face with a horizontal axe kick (think Jiraiya: Sage Mode when he fought Pein, and kicked one of them in the face with his entire shin). Vader cried out as he was sent flying 20 feet through the air and cratered into solid rock. As he removed himself, Naruto grabbed his arm and flung him in the air, formed a Rasengan in both hands, and launched himself in the air, too. He cried out, "SAGE TECH: DOUBLE RASENGAN!!!" and slammed both of them into Vader's chest mid-air. The Dark Lord of the Sith cried out and was then propelled towards the earth. He slammed into the ground with enough force to kill an elephant on impact. Naruto landed and surveyed the field. Climbing out of the crater, damaged but still strong, was Vader. Naruto groaned, and formed a cross seal. Three clones appeared, and Naruto formed the RasenShuriken a second time. Vader knew that this was it. He couldn't use the Force to weather a blow like that, so if he was hit, it was over. Naruto charged, and his clones leapt into Vader's path, preventing him from getting a good shot at Naruto. Suddenly, one of the clones leapt away, as the rest that he was fighting dispersed, and through the smoke, the shining, humming ball of energy that was the Rasenshuriken slammed into Vader's chestplate. The pain was incredible, as the ball seemed to explode to life, attacking him from all directions; thousands upon thousands of attacks, hitting him with increasing speed and ferocity. This was unlike anything he'd felt before; even the searing lava of Mustafar paled in comparison.

He screamed as it tore at his very molecules; needle like attacks hitting his very atoms, stabbing them again and again. Vader was then let go of the searing agony, and hit the ground below, completely drained of any energy he may have had left. The Naruto that had hit him with the attack had been a clone, and had long since dispersed, for its arm could not handle the strain of the attack, and had fractured into several pieces, thus dispersing the clone. The real Naruto emerged from his spot behind a few trees, his Sage Mode gone, and appeared to the sound of cackling laughter. The Emperor slowly began to walk down from the top of the hill, laughing as he went. "My dear boy, you have exceeded even MY expectations, and that in of itself is a rare event. Yet you have only defeated my apprentice; now you must face me. That is, if you want you and your naïve, pitiful race to live." said Sideous. "If you win, I shall never return, and will reveal the secret of your planet's location to no one. However…….should I win…..I'll take what I want…which is everything." Sideous smiled at this thought, thinking of the power he was to obtain, which would undoubtedly solidify his power over the galaxy, and remove the Jedi as both a factor and a threat to his rule. He smirked again as the ninja formed a few hand signs, but paled as several hundred clones appeared with the cry of "TAJUU: KAGE BUSHIN NO JUTSU!!!!" All were holding kunai, in various stances of attack.

"Get him, boys", said Naruto, and with that, the skies filled with red and orange. The Emperor simply smirked, and fired his Sith Lightning, turning clones to ash in seconds. Yet more came, and they were also fried as soon as they touched the lightning. Smoke choked the air, thickening with every clone that dispersed under the lethal onslaught. Suddenly, it cleared as the RasenShuriken sprung to life, carving its way through the very air itself. Knowing the power of this technique, and how it had been used, the Emperor was caught off-guard and unaware as the spinning charka shuriken sliced its way toward him, cutting through anything in its path. It stopped, however, when it met a red blade, wielded by the Emperor. The strain of keeping the spinning ball of energy at bay was evident on the Emperor's face, and he began to slide back, being pushed across the ground by the whirling blade of death. He finally brought his lightsaber up underneath it, and flung it into the air. Before Naruto could redirect it, it was blasted with more lightning, and it exploded in midair, taking out several hapless pigeons as it went up. The Emperor was grinning, but it was a façade. He was a little worn out from destroying those clones and getting rid of that last attack. He could still fight, yet no one had pushed him this far since Mace Windu, and that was several years ago. Yet this boy looked fit as a fiddle, not even tired, and he, the greatest Sith Lord to ever live, was worn out!?!?! This could not continue, so he went with Plan B, because all good super villains have at least a Plan B up their sleeve. He fired several more bolts at the teen, then proceeded to advance toward the other ninja, intent on cutting some of them down to throw the blond into despair. He approached a pink haired girl, who was healing one of the scumbags who'd killed Dooku. She must have sensed his presence because she turned around as he raised his blade, an evil, sadistic grin plastered on his wrinkled face. She stared in horror as the blade came down and…sliced the blond straight down his back. The girl screamed out his name, and Sideous grinned. The last one that could stand in his way was gone and…'POOF', the clone vanished in a puff of smoke.

"What the hell?" Sideous thought, until he was hit in the head with a strong right hook, sending him flying into several trees. He slammed into the trees, and was then hit again, this time from the left side, and he flew into several boulders, turning them into rubble. As he struggled to remove himself, a cry was heard, and a Rasengan smashed into the rubble, exploding the rock, sending little pieces, and Sideous, flying. He landed back in the crater, panting and bruised. Had he not used the Force when he did, he'd be dead. Instead, he was pretty banged up, but alive. Naruto emerged from the smoke, having re-entered Sage Mode, but with the slits of the Kyuubi mixed with his frog-like eyes. Naruto gripped Sideous by his robe and dragged him to his feet, holding him aloft and preparing a Rasengan in his right hand, intent to drive this one through his foe's skull. Before he could do it, a hand grabbed his arm, and Naruto turned to see Sakura gripping him tightly, tears falling down her face. "Stop it, Naruto. He's beaten; you don't need to kill him." she cried. "He tried to kill you, Sakura-chan. I won't let him get away with it. Besides, he needs to die for what he's done. Look around you. Konoha is destroyed. It will take months to rebuild, and people have died. All because of him." said Naruto. He looked at Sideous, the man bleeding and bruised, bones broken, and a pitiful expression on his face. "The girl's right, kid. You don't have to kill me. You won, so I'll just leave and-. "Sideous was cut off as the hand on his throat tightened, threatening to cut off his air supply. "Heh…you waltz in here, acting all high and mighty, make demands, steal our secrets, hurt my friends, attack my people, KILL INNOCENT CIVILIANS AND NINJA, DESTROY MY HOME, AND YOU THINK YOU CAN JUST WALK AWAY!?!?!?! NO, FOOLISH OLD MAN…TODAY YOUR PITIFUL EXISTENCE ENDS…RIGHT HERE, RIGHT NOW!" He tried to move his arm forward, Rasengan still in hand; intent on putting it through this madman's brain, but Sakura tightened her grip. "DON'T DO IT!!!" she cried, "PLEASE DON'T GO DOWN SASUKE'S PATH!!!"

Naruto froze, and the Kyuubi slits in his eyes disappeared. The Rasengan disappeared, and Naruto lowered his arm, dropping Sideous to the ground. He landed with a 'thud' and a groan. Naruto turned to see a relieved Sakura still holding him. He smiled, "Gomen, Sakura-chan. I kinda lost it there." he said while deactivating Sage Mode, his eyes returning to their cerulean blue. "When he tried to hurt you, I…I lost it. I was so angry that he would try and hurt you…any of you, and I let it get the better of me. Gomen, Sakura-chan. Please forgive me." He then looked down, slightly ashamed he let Kyuubi get to him, until Sakura lifted his head up to look at him. "Naruto…don't be. You did what you needed to in order to protect me…to protect the village. You always protect me…and it took today for me to see what a complete…well, you…I've been", she giggled at the look that crossed his face. "What I'm trying to say, Naruto, is that I-" She was cut off as Naruto pushed her away violently. She fell on her butt, and looked up at Naruto, getting ready to yell at him for pushing her. She gasped as she saw a red blade protruding from his chest, and began to tear up as she heard cackling laughter behind Naruto.

"Oh, how sweet. The brat has a girlfriend. Well, missy, you picked the wrong day to go all lovey-dovey on him, and it cost him the concentration he needed to protect you AND himself, so he made a choice. Looks like his own personal safety drew the short straw, and YOU'RE to blame. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!" He twisted the blade, and Naruto cried out. Sakura screamed his name. "You should have killed me when you had the chance, boy. Now YOU WILL DIE!" He pushed the blade in to the hilt. Sakura began to cry, as Naruto struggled to breath, and then slumped forward on the lightsaber. Sideous removed the body from his blade and tossed it aside, hearing it make a satisfying 'thump' as it hit the ground. "Now, what to do with a pretty thing like you. I could always sell you to the Hutts. You would make me a pretty penny, and the Hutts would have a new toy slut to play with. Sounds like a good idea. I might start doing that with all the girls here, but let's start with you first." Sideous reached for Sakura, but as he got within inches of her, he was blasted back several feet by a strange warm air. He looked to the source, and what he saw made his black blood run cold. The corpse….THE CORPSE WAS MOVING….and it had a red substance surrounding it!!!!! HE FELT ITS DAMN HEART STOP BEATING!!!! Sideous brought his lightsaber to the ready, and fired lightning at the corpse. It did nothing, and then…the boy changed. HE REVIVED HIMSELF!!! The brat had somehow brought himself back to life!!!!! Sideous backed away as three, then four tails sprouted from the boy…no, this was no boy, he thought. This was a monster…something from the very bowels of the Dark Side itself!!! He watched as it underwent another transformation, the skin peeling and the blood pooling in the cloak-like substance. Soon six tails formed and suddenly bones…BONES…sprang into existence. They covered the creature like skin, and a seventh tail suddenly sprouted, then an eighth. Muscle began to cover the creature, and Sideous wondered how it could have come to this. He knew now that picking a fight with this boy had awakened something that had lain dormant for who knows how long.

Suddenly, the transformation stopped. Eight tails were waving in the air, and the beast was growling, snarling, and drooling. It lashed a tail out, and Sideous cut through it with his saber. Yet even as the blade passed through the flesh and bone, the wound healed itself as soon as it was cut. He leapt away as the tail slammed into the ground, scratching his cheek as it swept by. He fired more lightning, but it did no damage, as the creature seemed to have an impossibly high healing factor, which turned wounds into nothing. He cried out as another tail slashed his leg, and another slashed his arms, then his torso. The Sith Lord felt searing pain coursing through his veins as he continued to receive blows too fast to dodge. Another to his side, yet another crossing his leg, his cheek received another blow. He tried his best, calling upon all his strength, and grabbed one of the tails, intent on electrocuting the beast. Explosive, searing pain unlike any he'd felt before rocked his body, forcing him to let go, and he received a charka-powered tail slap for his error.

Suddenly, the tails stopped, and he fell to the ground, bleeding yet alive. He looked up to see a massive ball of charka forming, then…the creature ate it!!! He looked around and saw no one around. He realized that everyone in the area had known of the creature's power and left him to his fate. He grimaced as he tried to move, his legs not responding, even with aid from the Force. He turned to see the creature, the beast, the monster, the-'Kyuubi', he heard the word in his mind, and remembered reading some text of an ancient beast said to bring destruction to any poor soul who had the misfortune to cross it, and wondered how this kid came into possession of this "Kyuubi". He realized he needed to do something fast, and threw his lightsaber at the monster's head. The energy blade spun through the air, carving a red arc of death as it went. Kyuubi's charka tails lashed out in its' path, but even they were sliced through. The spinning blade carved straight through the Kyuubi's head, slicing it in half horizontally. Sideous laughed as the creature fell to its knees, body slumped in what appeared to be death. His laughter was cut short as the stump he cut burst, showering blood and brain matter. Sideous grimaced, then realized what the creature was doing.

He shot out more lightning, but to no avail, as the eight tails blocked the lightning with ease. Now that the wound was free, and blood was flowing, the Kyubbi reconstructed his head. Skeletal features appeared out of thin air. Following the bone came muscle, then tissue and blood. Soon, the creature's head was good as new, and Sideous could only watch in horror as it picked up his lightsaber and snapped the handle in half like it was folding paper. The creature roared, forcing Sideous to feel several things that he'd forgotten what they felt like: Fear, Despair, and Hopelessness. He finally realized that it was over. He was going to die, and this creature was to be the one to kill him. He watched as the creature opened its maw and leveled it at him, like a cannon. Sideous remembered the ball of charka the creature had eaten earlier; he'd dismissed it as a ploy, a tactic to instill fear, nothing more. The last thought to cross his mind, as he looked upon his executioner as it fired the charka it had gathered, a true 'god amongst men', was: "F**k my life." Thus, the last Dark Lord of the Sith, Darth Sideous, vanished from existence in a blinding light, followed by a subsequent explosion that turned a good third of the entire forest into a downtown New York City parking lot.

Sakura watched in horror as Naruto transformed from the blond she knew and cared for into the monstrosity that was the Kyuubi. She cried as she watched, knowing he was in pain, suffering immensely from the transformation, and knowing that she could do nothing made it even worse. She'd only seen him go up to 4 tails, and that was against Orochimaru, the Snake Sannin. When he had, not even the Sword of Kusanagi had the ability to penetrate him, yet she knew he was being hurt worse by the actual transformation itself, more than any blade could ever do. Now that he'd gone to 8 tails, she could finally see what he saw, feel what he felt, and it made her cry even more. To think that he felt this…thing…inside of his body EVERY DAY; knowing that it was the cause of all his abuse, mistreatment, and unwarranted neglect. Having people despise you for what you save them from, not from your actions, but from something that is out of your control. She finally recognized him for who he really was: a hero, a savior, a friend, a companion, and above all else, the man that had stolen her heart. She realized it then and there. She was in love with Naruto Uzumaki.

She left her spot next to the wounded Sasuke and Pein, and began running toward the now seething Kyuubi. She ran up to him, calling his name over and over, trying to get him to respond. Suddenly, the Kyuubi whipped its head around, staring at her with hot, angry eyes. In a flash, all 8 tails flew straight towards her head. Kakashi had been trying to catch up, along with everyone else (even the wounded) and arrived to see the scene unfold. He yelled at Sakura to move, but he was too late. The tails flashed through the air headed straight for her head, and all anyone could do was watch as…they stopped inches from her face. Sakura had her eyes closed, waiting for death to take her, so when she felt nothing, she opened one eye to see the tails trembling violently in place. She opened both eyes to watch as Naruto fought the Kyuubi with everything he had. Inside the seal, Naruto was fighting desperately, trying to regain his body from the Kyuubi's control. The Kyuubi laughed as he smacked Naruto down yet again, solidifying his hold on the body yet again. Yet there was something keeping him from gaining total control: Naruto's will. His spirit refused to surrender, so he fought, no matter how hopeless it may seem to anyone around him. He was hit again by one of the Kyuubi's tails, and he plummeted to the sewer floor. He made a sickening 'Splat' as he hit both water and concrete. He picked himself up, limbs groaning and popping under the strain they were being put under. He formed a cross seal and thousands of Narutos emerged from thin air. They all cried out as they bum-rushed the Kyuubi, yet were all destroyed as the Kyuubi used a fire jutsu from its mouth, scorching any clone that was caught in the blaze; the very same jutsu used to set Konoha's forests on fire when he first attacked.

The smoke cleared to reveal Naruto in Sage Mode with a RasenShuriken in both hands. He threw the first one, and the Kyuubi, despite being trapped in a cage, leapt to avoid it. He cleared it, only to realize that it was a clone, and the real one was headed for his face. The spinning charka shuriken suddenly expanded, slicing through flesh and bone, tearing into the Kyuubi's snout and face. Then, the blades disappeared, and the ball itself soared into the opening in the Kyuubi's head. It disappeared, and then Kyuubi's head exploded with thousands upon thousands of attacks, tearing the entire head to shreds. Kyuubi's body hit the floor with a deafening 'THUD', and lay there, twitching uncontrollably. Naruto, out of Sage Mode, was on one knee, panting hard but chuckling to himself. He did it, he thought, he killed the Kyuubi. His joy was short lived as the Kyuubi suddenly reformed its head, recreating the flesh, bone, and blood out of thin air. His head restored, he stood tall, glaring at Naruto. "YA KNOW," he said, "IT'S NOT NICE TO TRY AND BLOW SOMEONE'S HEAD OFF, EVEN IF THEY AREIMMORTAL!!!!!" Kyuubi began to laugh at this, throwing Naruto further into despair. The Kyuubi then, with a flick of its' ninth tail, tore open the seal on Naruto's stomach. Naruto lost all coherent thought then, and, at the Kyuubi's beckoning, went over to tear off the seal to the cage. He reached it and was about to tear it off… when a hand grabbed his, and yanked him away from the cage, snapping him out of his trance.

"FOURTH, HOW DARE YOU INTERFERE!!!!!? COME HERE SO I CAN TEAR YOUR HEAD OFF, YOU BLOND BASTARD!!!!!" roared Kyuubi. "Well, yelling at me about it won't make me want to come over there…isn't that right, Naruto?" Yondaime grinned while saying this, looking at Naruto with love and concern. He then turned to the Kyuubi, a look of pure hatred on his face. "I never wanted to see you again, fox. But since I get to see how my son has grown up, I guess we'll call it even." Naruto looked upon the Yondaime in awe, wondering how he got inside the seal. "Wait a second," he said, "how do you know my name? I never told you it." Now he was really confused. The Yondaime, coming out of nowhere, showing up out of the blue, inside the seal no less, stopping him from freeing the Kyubbi and knowing his name, to top it all off. The Fourth Hokage looked at him with a smile on his face and in his eyes. "DON'T DO IT, FOURTH. I SWEAR TO KAMI, DON'T DO IT. IF YOU TELL HIM, I WILL DO MORE THAN KILL YOU. I WILL DO EVERY EVIL THING IMAGINABLE TO YOU. ARE YOU HEARING ME!?!?!?! FOURTH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" cried the Kyuubi. The Yondaime simply smiled and said, "The reason I know, Naruto……is because I gave you that name." Naruto stared for a minute, trying to comprehend what he had just said. While the Kyuubi was literally foaming at the mouth, spouting every curse word known to man and demon, everything finally clicked in his head. "You don't mean…" he said. "Yes I do…" said Minato, "you are my son…Naruto."

Naruto began to tear up even as the Kyuubi began to rant and rave, screaming of all the things he'd do to the Fourth Hokage. "He's so dang noisy, isn't he Naruto?" said Minato, looking at the Kyuubi in disdain, "How about we go somewhere where it's a little quieter so we can talk, hmm?" he said. "FOURTH, I SWEAR ON EVERYTHING THAT IS HOLY, IF YOU LEAVE-". Kyuubi never got to finish his sentence as both Naruto and Minato vanished in a blinding snap of light. They both appeared in an area void of all color, save white.

Minato turned to Naruto, who was looking down, his eyes hidden by his golden locks. "I know that this may be hard for you to accept, but-". Suddenly, Minato wheezed as Naruto slammed his fist into his gut, knocking the air out of him. As Minato tried to regain his breath (and composure), Naruto looked at him, tears evident as they poured down his face. "WHY!?!?!?! WHY DID YOU SEAL THE KYUUBI IN YOUR OWN SON!?!?!?! TELL ME WHY!!!!!" He screamed as he wept. Minato looked upon his son, and smiled sadly. "Naruto, how old are you now?" Naruto stopped crying and looked at him. "Sixteen", he replied sniffing. "Sixteen, huh; wow, look at you. You're all grown up." Minato said, "Look, Naruto, I know that you've had a hard life, and I know that I'm to blame. I'm sorry. Sorry for everything that's happened to you. I never meant to cause you pain or suffering. I wanted the village to look upon you as a hero, one that had saved them from the Kyuubi, but they didn't. What I did was to save them, yet they look upon the gift that I gave them with disgust.

*Sigh* Naruto, the Kyuubi didn't attack Konohagakure out of its' own will. Someone brought him here. He's from Akatsuki; the one that wears a mask." Naruto blinked, and he knew who his dad was talking about. "Madera Uchiha," he said. His dad nodded. "One of the reasons I sealed the Kyuubi's charka in you, was so you could fight him someday. I tried to stop him. Every Jutsu, every attack, was deflected or avoided. It was like he could have them pass right through him. That's why I needed to give the fox's charka to you; so you could hopefully harness its' power and fight him on an equal playing field. So you could succeed where your father had failed." He said. "Yond…Dad, Madera is dead. He died protecting this world, oddly enough." Said Naruto. "I know; I was watching through the seal; it was kind of ironic that he would die to protect something he wanted to destroy himself. Now, I want to stay here forever with you and catch up on all the things I missed doing with you, but my charka is almost gone. I can fix the seal, but it will be the last time I can do so…….I love you, son." Minato pressed his fingertips to Naruto's stomach, and made a swirling motion. The gaping hole where the seal had been once again became the spiral seal, only this time it had his dad's fingerprints along with Orochimaru's Five-Pronged Seal, and Jiraiya's Five-Pronged Seal Release. Naruto looked upon his dad for the last time, and got to say the words he'd wished to say ever since he was born: "I love you too….Dad" And with that, Naruto was pushed out of the seal, and into the real world.

Outside the seal, Sakura and the rest of Konoha watched as the eight-tailed Kyuubi froze, gave a bloodcurdling shriek, and slumped to the ground. It grasped at its head, thrashing and screaming, even as one by one, its tails began to disappear. So did the transformation, as the muscle faded away, the bone disintegrated, and the blood dissipated, to reveal a battered, bloodied, bruised, and living, Naruto. He grinned, then got a far off look in his eyes, and slumped to the ground unconscious. Sakura and the rest of the Rookie Nine (plus Sai and Team Taka), and their sensei's ran over to the spot where he collapsed. Sakura checked his pulse, and found it beating steady. She smiled, thinking to herself all that she would tell him when he was awake. She then looked over to where the injured lay. Madera was dead; he had taken the cyborg general with him as he passed. Pein was suffering from charka exhaustion and several broken bones and bruises, but was otherwise fine (if unconscious). Sasuke was unconscious too, having used up all his charka on that last lightning attack. The rest of the people were fine, except some of the civilians who were caught in the blast that the Sith Lord Sideous had fired at the village when this all started.

The reason Pein happened to be here was obvious: he was looking for Naruto. However, he encountered the Sith first, and overwhelmed, called for backup. Backup arrived just as the 5th Pain was cut down. The rest of Akatsuki never stood a chance, as Kisame tried to meet the incoming lightsaber slash with his Samehada, only to have the sharkskin blade scream as they were both sliced open. Zetsu went to retrieve the body, only to meet a similar fate. Konan had hidden with the real Pein when this all began, and watched as the rest of her 'comrades' were slaughtered. Now that everything was over, she reemerged with the real Pein, Nagato. They made their way over to the site, Pein hacking from charka exhaustion. The group tensed when they appeared, but Konan waved her hands, indicating they didn't wish to fight. She went over to where Sakura held Naruto, his head in her lap. She knelt, and placed a kiss on his head. She had to use a Paper Substitution, as Sakura's fist lashed out at the woman. Konan looked at Naruto, thanked him for everything, and then she, Nagato, and the now revitalized Yahiko/Pein vanished into the forest.

Left behind was the key to the statue containing the 7 Bijuu, the location where it was being kept (Amigakure), and the way to return them to their former owners (including Garra) and reviving them (except Garra, since he's still alive). Also there was a promise to return someday, not as enemies, but as allies. All of Konoha then turned to see Naruto rising, being aided by Sakura, and walking over to where Sasuke lay. He looked upon the prone form of his best friend, shook off Sakura's arm, and bent toward him. He picked him up, and, like he promised 3 years ago, began to bring Sasuke back to a now shattered Konohagakure. He passed civilians and ninja alike, limping toward the still standing gates to Konoha. As he passed through them, people began to clap and cheer. Everyone, from the civilians who had once despised him as the Kyuubi, to the Rookie Nine and Sai, to the Jonnin Sensei's, to the rest of the ninja of the village. The only reason the village elders and Danzo and his Root weren't there was because they had been killed in the attack. The elders and Danzo had been holding a meeting, with the entire Root Division in attendance (save Sai) when Sideous had blasted the building, killing everyone instantly. The only thought that went through Naruto's head at that moment, was that he'd kept his promise to Sakura, and that his best friend was home, safe and alive.

TIMESKIP TWO DAYS

Naruto and Sasuke were currently lying in a makeshift hospital. Most of the buildings were destroyed in the attack, so the rest of Konohagakure was cordoned off, to prevent any mishaps with structurally unsound buildings. Medics were tending to the hundreds wounded in the attack. Luckily, there were more people wounded than killed. Both were conscious, and both were bored out of their freakin' minds. If they were to try and escape this perpetual hell, Sakura would beat them to a pulp, and then leave them for the wolves (or the Inuzuka's dogs). At least, that was what Naruto was thinking. Sasuke, on the other hand, still didn't care about what anyone thought. He proceeded to get out of bed, which brought Naruto's attention to Sasuke. "Sasuke, I wouldn't do that. Sakura-chan'll get angry. You saw the last guy who tried to leave early. He'll never father children again!!!" "Humph, like I care what Sakura thinks, dobe. I'm leaving, and I don't plan on sticking around." Sakura then rounded the corner ( conveniently, huh?), and spotted Sasuke, dressed and ready to walk out the door. "SASUKE, GET BACK IN THE DAMN BED, OR SO HELP ME-"

" What can you do to me Sakura? You can't even touch me, let alone force me to do anything." Sasuke then realized that she hadn't added the "–Kun" to his name. "Besides, I've got better things to do." Sasuke then proceeded to head towards the exit. "SASUKE!!! GET YOUR MOODY, EMO ASS BACK HERE NOW!!!!" Sakura ran towards Sasuke, but stopped as Sasuke drew his katana and pointed it at her. What shocked both of them was that Naruto was not only dressed, but was standing between Sakura and the katana. "Don't you DARE point that at Sakura-chan." he said. Sasuke grinned, and sheathed the blade. "Dobe, I think it's about time to see what really happened at the Valley of the End." "What are you talking about?" "QUIT BEING SUCH A DUMBASS!!! I KNOW YOU HELD BACK; YOU COULD HAVE KILLED ME BACK THEN, BUT YOU DIDN'T!!! NOW I'M THE ONE IN THAT VERY SAME POSITION, ONLY I WILL KILL YOU!!!" Sasuke ignited his Chidori Nagarashi, to the utter disbelief of onlookers.

Naruto sighed, and formed the cross seal he was so famous for. Several thousand bushin appeared. "Take all the injured and the rest of the people out of here. This is about to get ugly." "Right, Boss. You heard the man. Get going!!!" And with that, the grounds were cleared. No one, save Sasuke and Naruto, were left. Sasuke leered, and charged toward Naruto. Naruto leapt and formed another cross seal. Another hundred clones appeared, and scattered. Sasuke stopped and waited for the attack, but it never came. Instead he looked towards Naruto, who had his eyes closed, and his palms together. He smirked, thinking that the dobe was saving everyone at the cost of himself. He leapt and thrust the Chidori towards Naruto's heart. The blade stopped when it encountered an invisible force. Sasuke was startled, but then looked up at Naruto. His eyes widened when he saw the markings appear, and had no time to react as a fist impacted his face, sending him flying into several trees.

Meanwhile, the clones that were with the injured and the medics disappeared. Only two were left, next to Sakura, and they were in a meditation form. She looked at their faces, and recognized what her master had told her were Sage Markings. These only appeared on the face of someone who had completely mastered Sage Mode, an ancient form that only Master Jiraiya had known. She looked out towards the battlefield just as Naruto connected with Sasuke, sending him flying into the trees. She looked on in amazement as Naruto, who had gone Sage Mode, beat the living crap out of Sasuke. Enough of this, Sasuke thought, and he activated his Mangekeyo Sharingan. He tried to use genjutsu to distract Naruto, but it seemingly had no effect, and he had to dodge a punch that would have broken his nose. Since genjutsu wasn't working, he thought, let's try Amaterasu.

He focused, and black flames sprung to life several feet from where Naruto was standing. Naruto realized the danger and leapt away as the entire field burst into black flame. He landed several feet away, and had to leap again as more black flame erupted where he had been standing seconds ago. He recognized these flames, and knew how to deal with them. Like the Count had before, Naruto leapt into the air. Sasuke followed and his eyes landed on the spot where Naruto was. Suddenly Naruto vanished, leaving nothing but the sun where he'd been. Since staring at the sun is bad for any eye, Sasuke cried out in pain, and deactivated Amaterasu, shielding his eye from the burning visage of the sun. He regretted his mistake when he felt a Rasengan slam into his back a second later. Sure, he'd been hit with a Rasengan before, but he had always used his Chidori to counter it. Now he felt the full force of the Yondaime's technique, as the spinning ball of charka slammed him into a boulder with such force, it cracked the boulder. He removed himself from the boulder in time to dodge a second Rasengan, and the impact turned the boulder into pebbles. Sasuke groaned as his body screamed at him to give. He refused, however, and called upon his newest technique: Susano'o.

A charka cloak formed around him, and Susano'o appeared, carrying a crossbow. Naruto stared in awe at this new technique, then paled as it leveled its crossbow at him. He narrowly dodged the bolt, and continued to dodge, as bolt after bolt was fired in his direction. Suddenly, he lost his footing, and a bolt of charka impaled him. He coughed up blood, and…'POOF', disappeared. Sasuke looked around for Naruto, and paled at what he saw. There was Naruto, all right; with a RasenShuriken in his hand, and several clones around him. The clones charged, and Sasuke shot them all down, then aimed for Naruto. What he didn't expect was Naruto to throw the RasenShuriken. The spinning blade of charka flew through the air, and Sasuke fired his strongest charka bolt to try and stop it. The charka bolt met the RasenShuriken mid-air, and was cleaved in two, much to Sasuke's chagrin. He watched helplessly as the RasenShuriken impacted with Susano'o. The high-pitched, spinning blade carved through Susano'o, then exploded, taking Susano'o with it.

Smoke filled the air, and when it dissipated, Sasuke was standing there, Mangekeyo Sharingan active, and a Chidori in hand. Naruto stood there as well, Sage Mode going strong, and a Rasengan in his hand. The clones that were next to Sakura, gathering natural charka dispersed, and added their charka to Naruto, unbeknownst to Sasuke. "So dobe, ready to die?" "Keep dreaming, Sasuke-teme." Silence filled the air, save for the chirping from the Chidori, and the swirling from Rasengan. Suddenly, both ninja cried out and charged, intent on finishing this with one blow. They reached the center, and both thrust their arms forward, weapons in hand, and both cried out the name of their attacks: "CHIDORI!!!" "RASENGAN!!!"

The entire field literally exploded, showering the spectators with debris and small animals. People were knocked on their asses, or were simply blown away, screaming that the end of the world was upon them. Sakura braced herself, but felt nothing but wind. She looked to see several Naruto clones surrounding her, giving her shelter as they took the brunt of the backlash. They dispersed as the attack died down. Sakura looked out onto the field, and what she saw made her heart stop. Sasuke was laying there, a circular hole in his clothing, and a spiral pattern on his stomach where the Rasengan hit. What really made her blood run cold was the hole she saw in Naruto's chest. She ran over to him, ignoring the debris and wreckage that surrounded her. She landed next to him, and began to try and heal the gaping hole in his chest. She was crying as she saw he wasn't breathing. She gave up and began to sob. She'd lost her love forever, and it was all because of-. She stopped sobbing, and clenched her fists. Sakura leapt to her feet and ran over to where Sasuke lay.

Sasuke felt as if he'd been hit by a rampaging summon. He staggered to his feet, and was not prepared for the hit to his face. His head whipped back, and the blow sent him reeling to the ground. He had to roll away as the next one would've pushed his brains out the back of his skull, if the crater left there was any indication. Sakura got up and attacked him again; Sasuke was out of charka, so he could only dodge, his sword long since knocked out of his hands and into a random shrub. "WHY!?!?! WHY'D YOU KILL HIM SASUKE?!?!?! HE DIDN'T KILL YOU!!! HE COULD'VE OBLITERATED YOU WITH THE POWER HE HAD, YET HE SPARED YOU AGAIN, AND YOU SHOW YOUR GRATITUDE BY THRUSTING A CHIDORI INTO HIS CHEST?!?!?! WHY, SASUKE!?!?! WHY'D YOU KILL THE MAN I LOVE!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!"

That last statement gave Sasuke pause, and it was all Sakura needed as she drove her fist directly into the same spot where the Rasengan had hit him. Sasuke doubled over, and Sakura brought her leg around in a roundhouse kick that sent him flying. He landed next to Naruto, and managed to look at the damage he'd done to his best friend. The hole was bloody, grotesque, and gaping; what surprised him was the face that it wasn't healing. Naruto's wounds ALWAYS healed!!!! Unless…Sasuke realized what he'd done, and screamed. Sakura froze as Sasuke backed away from Naruto's body, screaming and crying. She heard him scream in pain before, but this was something she'd never heard from him. It sounded of despair, of anguish. He'd just killed his best friend, and now he realized it. She slumped to the ground, and began to sob again. Sasuke then seemed to snap, and he ran over to Naruto, shaking him and yelling at him to wake up. "The dobe can't be dead…he can't be…I've seen him take worse than this…DAMNIT NARUTO, WAKE UP….PLEASE WAKE UP!!! I'M SORRY!!! I NEVER MEANT TO KILL YOU!!! PLEASE…KAMI PLEASE WAKE UP!!!" Suddenly Sasuke was blasted back by an overwhelming charka. Both Sakura and Sasuke recognized this charka as the Kyuubi's. The hole in Naruto's chest closed in an instant, and the charka seemed to disappear back into Naruto's body. Then, Naruto stirred, and groaned. Sakura gasped and ran over to him, letting go all restraint and just hugging him. Naruto was now fully awake, and crying out in pain that he couldn't breathe. He then looked over at Sasuke, and managed to get out his name before Sasuke hugged him, too. "Naruto, I'm sorry. I let revenge get to me, and I forgot you were my friend. It took me fighting you to see my error. I'm sorry." Sasuke let go of Naruto and looked at the blond with new eyes, ones not clouded with hatred. "Sasuke, my friend," said Naruto, clapping Sasuke on the back, "I've been waiting to hear you say that for 3 years. Let's go home." And with that, Team 7 was finally reunited, and headed back to Konoha.

TIMESKIP ONE WEEK

Konoha was still in the process of repair, but it was coming along quite smoothly. Taking into account the thousands of shadow-cloned Naruto's going to and fro, repairing buildings and rebuilding the Konohagakure Wall, aiding civilians and ninja alike, it's no surprise that the repairs were 50% completed. In another week or so, Konohagakure would look good as new. However, the number one hyperactive knucklehead ninja doing most of the work was currently lying in the hospital, still struggling to get free after his latest attempt to sneak out the window of his hospital room to go train (again).

Flashback

"Naruto!!! Naruto, are you awake? I came to check on your progress, and I brought some fresh flowers-"Sakura stopped as she saw Naruto freeze and look over his shoulder at her with a sheepish grin that spoke of serious guilt. He already had one foot on the ledge, and had been getting ready to leap out when she entered. He continued to make his grave even deeper with, "Hey…Sakura-Chan…what brings you here so early?"

Her lack of response had sweat pouring down his face and his danger senses burning a hole in the back of his skull. He made a leap for it, but was unceremoniously grabbed by the back of his hospital gown, and yanked back inside. The people milling about outside heard a girlish scream, followed by, "PLEASE, SAKURA-CHAN…FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, NOT THE FACE….NOT THERE, I NEED THOSE…SOMEONE HELP ME!!!!!!!!" Various items flew out the open window, not the least of these several hypos, a bedpan, a cat, various medical equipment, and a chair.

End Flashback

Finally, with no more flying objects or girly screams of bloody murder, we find Naruto securely strapped to the bed, struggling against the restraints. "C'mon, Sakura-Chan, I need to do something. Sitting in a hospital all day that smells of old people is driving me crazy. Plus, I haven't had ramen in a week, and I need my ramen. Let me out of here." "Not a chance, Naruto. You were severely hurt. You need to rest some more, and get a decent diet for a change. Ramen isn't part of that diet." "C'mon, let me go. I'll make it worth your while. Waddaya say?" he said; with that last comment, Sakura's Inner Self was giving her all sorts of suggestions, none of which were anything less than R-rated. She had to turn away to stifle the nosebleed, as the images clogged her brain. She was brought out of her reverie as Naruto continued to struggle against his bonds. She looked toward the door, then at Naruto, who was oblivious and STILL struggling with the confounded wristbands, and made her decision.

She went over to the door and locked it, went over to the window and closed it, locking it as well, and then applied a Silencing Jutsu that Tsunade taught her. Naruto stopped his struggling when he felt a hand grab his. He looked to see Sakura unlocking the wristbands, then the ankle bands. He looked on as she leaned forward and kissed him softly on the lips. Naruto was speechless as Sakura pulled away, a smile on her lips. "Naruto, there's been something that I've wanted to tell you for a week now, and I'm just now getting the chance to say it. You've been there for me…you've always been there for me. You were there in the Academy. You were there at the bridge. You were there in the forest. You were there with me when Garra had me pinned to a tree, and you saved me. You were there when I asked you to bring Sasuke back, and you made me the promise of a lifetime. I'll never forget the way you selflessly went out of your way, just to make me happy, pushing your own happiness aside for me.

Then you were there when we went after Sasuke at Orochimaru's hideout. You took several blows that were meant for me. You got hurt because of me. You saved me again. Then you were there when we went after Sasuke again. You almost got killed by the very person we were after. Then you were there when Sora went berserk using the Kyuubi's charka. Again you protected me. Again you took a blow meant for me. Again you saved me. And you were there when these people tried to destroy us. You not only saved me, but the entire village as well. Finally, you were there when you fought Sasuke. You protected me from that final attack, creating Shadow Clones to take the hit. You've always been there…every single time. And it took me 16 years to notice." Tears rolled down her face as she spoke, and Naruto wiped them away with his thumb, caressing the cheek which it touched. "Now Naruto, it's time I be there for you. I will be with you forever now. I love you, Naruto Uzumaki."

Naruto sat there, stunned at her confession. This girl, whom he'd loved since he'd seen her at the academy 8 years ago, loved him back. Sakura yelped as he picked her up and hugged her tightly, whispering, "I love you too, Sakura-Chan. I always have, and I always will." She hugged him back, kissing his neck and holding him tightly. Naruto yelped in return when she reached around to grab his exposed butt through his hospital gown. Sakura was then reaching around to the front, and rubbing a very sensitive spot through the gown. Naruto groaned and pulled away, seeing that doing so made Sakura frown in disappointment. "Sakura-Chan, do you really…I mean should we be…" he sputtered. Sakura smiled; even though she was practically offering herself to him, he still wanted to make sure it was alright with her before he did anything. She reached out and grabbed him, making him tense. "Naruto, I've been waiting for a whole week. Yes, we are going to do this. Now you have a choice: cooperate, or I'll strap you to the bed and have my way with your foxy meat. Your choice."

She smirked as she said this, feeling him harden in her grasp. She suddenly found herself up against him, her mouth being ravished as he began to remove her clothing at lightning speed. She grinned as she removed his hospital attire, leaving him clad in only his boxers, while Naruto had her down to her pink, lacy bra and matching panties. She giggled as he tried to remove it, then gasped as he gave up and tore it off, taking her panties in the next swipe. "Naruto, those were my favorite." she mock pouted. "Sex now, clothes shopping later." he said. She grinned as he removed his boxers, his erection springing free of its confines. Sakura looked at Naruto: A strong, broad chest, a killer six-pack, muscular arms and toned legs like tree trunks, and last but certainly not least, an 8-inch cock that stood out on its own, seemingly proud of itself, and Sakura couldn't blame it. He stood there, in all his tanned glory, and Sakura wondered why she didn't jump him sooner. Naruto looked at Sakura: soft, smooth skin, pink, perky nipples, modest B-cup breasts, toned stomach; soft pink curls guarded her entrance, but he could see the juices already running down her legs. Sakura stood there, in all her beauty and grace, and Naruto marveled at his self-control, barely resisting taking her then and there. Before Sakura could do anything else, Naruto looked in her eyes and asked, "Sakura-chan, are you sure? You can still back out if you want to. I mean, you don't have to do this with…someone like me"; he looked off to the side as he said this, assuming that this was as close as he would get to true happiness with her.

Sakura's eyes widened, then she finally understood his pain; the pain that he'd been carrying with him his entire life. He thought that she would reject him for the Kyuubi that was inside of him; tears rolled down her face as she leapt at him, catching him off-guard and knocking them onto the hospital bed. He braced himself for the beating he thought was coming, but was surprised when he felt water on his chest. He looked to Sakura to see her crying, her head violently shaking back and forth. "Naruto, you're not the Kyuubi. How could you even think that? You're the nicest, most caring and loving person I've ever known. No monster could ever do what you do. Besides, you're the man I love. I'll never leave you. So stop thinking I'm too good for you. It's the other way around; you're too good for me. I hit you, berate you, yell at you, and yet you're still here, pouring your love out for me. I don't deserve you, but you deserve all the happiness in the world. So no, I'm not going to back out. Yes, I am sure. I've never been so sure of anything in my entire life. I love you, Naruto. I love you."

Sakura continued to cry, and he held her, rubbing her back and whispering soothing words of comfort to her, telling her that everything was all right, that he never held anything against her. She looked up, the tears drying, and kissed him roughly, smashing their lips together. Naruto kissed back, eagerly thrusting his tongue into her mouth. She met his with hers, their tongues dancing together. He reached up and grabbed her left breast, making her break the kiss with a gasp. He kneaded her breasts, toying with her tits, and making her moan in pleasure. He then took a nipple into his mouth, sucking and teasing it. She moaned and pushed her chest forward, eager to have him do more to her tits. She was disappointed as he released her breast, only to have him take both her nipples into his mouth, and begin to suck, nip, and bite anew. She cried out as she felt something being drawn from her nipples, and realized two things: one, he was milking her breasts, and two, she loved it.

As he was ravishing her boobs, she reached around and grabbed his raging erection, squeezing it and rubbing the milky film that began to come out of the tip. He moaned as the hand that was toying with him left, and he was forced to let go of her tits as she moved, and then groaned as she began to lick him. He then began to pant like a dog as she took him into her mouth, sucking and bobbing up and down. He began to thrust in time with her motions, and pleaded for her to go faster. She complied with a moan, the vibrations going through his cock, making him shudder. Soon, she was sucking his dick faster, bobbing and sucking, making him thrust into her mouth faster. He groaned even louder when she played with his balls, pushing him nearer to that special peak.

He crested it when she gave a particularly hard suck on the head of his cock, and she slid her whole mouth down on his cock as he came, shooting warm, white cum into her mouth. She eagerly began to swallow, continuing to suck on his cock until she milked every last drop from his shaft. She let him go, and he attacked her pussy, thrusting his tongue inside her so fast, she barely had time to yelp before he was lapping at her folds. She cried out as he used his fingers to tug at her pearl, making her ride his face harder as he licked and sucked every inch of her. Too soon, she felt something building in her cunt, and suddenly the dam broke. She cried out as she began to cum, and Naruto opened his mouth for the rush of juice that poured out of her. She came off her peak, and felt herself being lifted, and then she felt his tip at her entrance. She screamed his name as he impaled her to the hilt, thrusting directly into her womb. She cried out again as he began to thrust, easing himself out, and then slamming back inside. Naruto couldn't control himself as he began to slide in and out of her pussy. What surprised him next was her flipping him over, and having her straddle him as she took his full length inside her. She began to ride him, her breasts bouncing as she wantonly fucked him. He met her thrust for thrust, their pelvises colliding every time, and each thrust felt better than the last. She began to moan for him, telling him to go faster, then harder. He complied each time. Finally, she cried out, "NARUTO, PLEASE JUST FUCK MY BRAINS OUT!!! PLEASE RAVISH MY PUSSY!!! CUM INSIDE ME!!! CUM INSIDE ME!!! I NEED YOUR CUM!!! I NEED YOUR CUM INSIDE ME, PLEASE!!!"

With that statement, Naruto grinned, and gave her what she wanted. He flipped her over, and began to pound her pussy from behind. She cried out with renewed pleasure as he fucked her fast and hard, just how she liked it. She screamed as she came, clamping around his cock and milking it for everything it possessed. However, Naruto wasn't done. He gripped her legs, lifted her into the air, and held her against his chest as he speared into her pussy again and again. Sakura's mind was long gone, and she was moaning wantonly as he ravished her, just like she'd asked. Every thrust brought her closer to total ecstasy; every time his cock speared her womb, she would cry out for more. She was addicted to his cock, and they'd only fucked this one time. Inner Sakura was getting the same treatment from a new resident in her head, Sakura's Inner Naruto. Inner Sakura was practically being raped by Inner Naruto, but Inner Sakura was the one who had him bound to a table. Needless to say, leather was involved. Back outside her porn-ridden mind, Sakura had just had her 3rd orgasm, and Naruto had yet to cum once.

Frustrated with the lack of her man's cum, she flipped him over, and proceeded to ride him into the bed. Naruto was caught off guard; he'd been the one ravishing her, and now he was getting close. She was crying out; with each decent, his cock thrust directly into her womb. The pleasure was unlike anything she'd felt, even when she'd masturbated to Sasuke as a child. She finally reached her peak a 4th time, when Naruto latched onto her tits, and toyed with them mercilessly. She clamped down on him hard again, and Naruto couldn't stop himself this time. He flipped her over again, while she was still cumming, and drove into her hard and fast in short successive bursts. She cried out even more with every thrust, each stab of his cock bringing her closer to a new orgasm. She finally reached her peak, and her eyes rolled back into her head as her 5th orgasm exploded onto her, her pussy and womb latching onto his cock, demanding that he give her pussy cum, or it would never leave her until it did. Naruto finally reached his peak, and with one final thrust drove himself to the hilt, slamming into her womb while she was still cumming, and exploded inside her, filling her up completely. Sakura cried out as she was filled with warm cum, and she clamped down harder as she came again, just from being filled with cum. She milked him dry, and they both slumped to the bed, exhausted but content. It was unspoken, but both agreed that they would be doing THAT again real soon. Naruto reached over and pulled Sakura to him. "I love you, Sakura-chan." "I love you too, Naruto." They lay there, smiling and kissing, and soon sleep claimed them, tomorrow promising to be a better day

A/N: Whew!!! Took me 4 months to complete, but it was worth it!!! This was buzzing around in my head over Winter Break, and it demanded to be written, or it would create a Gai/Lee genjutsu that would haunt me in my dreams forever. Comment, Rate, and Review. Positive/Negative Flames are welcome, as they help me become a better writer. Any suggestions for new stories are welcome, also. 'Till then, Ja Ne!!! This is Sgt. Assassin Signing Off.